Kremlin downplays Trump’s nuclear rhetoric ahead of U.S. envoy’s visit
In early August 2025,U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had repositioned two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” closer to Russia—an apparent response to provocative comments earlier made by Moscow’s hawkish political figure Dmitry Medvedev, who warned that each new ultimatum risked escalating into war. The Kremlin, however, has publicly downplayed the move. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 4, 2025, that American submarines were "already on combat duty" as part of routine operations, and insisted Russia had no intention of turning Trump’s statement into a “nuclear controversy.” He urged that "everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric," stressing that Medvedev’s comments do not reflect official Kremlin policy. With tensions mounting, the exchange comes amid Trump’s tightening deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He has threatened fresh secondary sanctions on Russia and countries buying its oil—including India and China—if […]